Exposure to gruesome collision scenes and being in a highly stressed environment were some of the outcomes of a pilot study on Durban metro police officers recently.
In a report presented by the security and emergency services committee on Tuesday, the eThekwini Municipality found that a need exists to implement comprehensive specialised mental health interventions for law enforcement particularly, for traffic officers exposed to high-stress environments and traumatic events.
As such, the Metro Police Mental Health Assessment Program pilot study was conducted, at no cost to the municipality. The study evaluated 260 metro police officers across different ranks as well as different genders.
The findings revealed a dire situation within the metro police unit, with a high prevalence of moderate to severe depression, substance abuse, anxiety, gender-based violence and femicide, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
This study found that this is largely attributed to direct and daily exposure to high-stress environments, such as managing gruesome accidents, handling violent crime encounters, exposure to drugs during enforcement, and enforcing road safety under difficult conditions.
The Firearms Control Act of 2004 prescribes that an official institution that issues firearms to its employees to perform their day-to-day functions must ensure that all employees issued with firearms undergo a psychological debriefing by a qualified psychologist within 48 hours after experiencing any violent incident, discharging their firearm, or witnessing a shooting.
Currently, the metro police officers are finding it difficult to comply with the said regulation due to the non-dedicated services available in this regard.
The municipality stated that the findings of the study underscore an urgent need for mental health interventions for law enforcement officers.
The municipality will deliberate on the matter at a full council meeting later this month. It stated that to comply with the Firearms Control Act of 2004, they sought approval for metro police to have dedicated psychological services, and employee and health wellness services.
The municipality seeks approval from the council for the unique mental health needs of law enforcement officers that can effectively be addressed through the following digital mental health support strategies:
- Digital Mental Health Platforms: The development of tailored, secure, and easily accessible digital mental health consultants.
- The platform could integrate proactive and reactive services like real-time crisis support and stress relief techniques.
- Integration of Mental Health curriculum during training where officers must undergo a course about their occupation and mental health during work.
- Mental Health Education and Awareness Campaigns: implementation of digital education programmes, webinars, and virtual workshops that focus on mental health awareness, de-stigmatisation, and the importance of seeking help.
- the programmes must become mandatory and easily accessible to all law enforcement officers.